
Juliette Hammer
Sale Coordinator
This auction has ended. View lot details
Sold for £6,400 inc. premium
Our Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art specialists can help you find a similar item at an auction or via a private sale.
Find your local specialist
Sale Coordinator

Specialist

Specialist, Chinese Works of Art

Head of Chinese and Asian Art, London
十七世紀 黃花梨雕「琴棋書畫」圖蓋盒
The Four Scholarly Accomplishments (qin, qi, shu, hua 琴棋書畫) represented the ideal cultural refinement of a Chinese scholar-official. Qin (琴) refers to mastery of the guqin, an instrument associated with self-cultivation and moral integrity. Qi (棋) denotes skill in Go (圍棋), a game of strategy reflecting intellectual depth. Shu (書) signifies calligraphy, revered as both a means of expression and a reflection of one's character. Hua (畫) represents painting, particularly literati-style brushwork, which conveyed scholarly ideals and a deep appreciation for nature. Together, these pursuits embodied the Confucian gentleman's aesthetic and philosophical aspirations.
The 'Four Scholarly Accomplishments' was a popular theme among artists and was depicted in paintings, which may have served as inspiration for the design of the present box. See a set of four Song dynasty scroll paintings entitled 'The Eighteen Scholars' (宋人十八學士圖) in the Palace Museum, Taipei, showing scholars engaging in the 'Four Arts' (acc.no.故畫00856-859).
Similar boxes and covers carved in wood are rare, however, related examples in lacquer exist. A cinnabar lacquer circular box and cover, late Ming dynasty, showing scholars engaged in chess and calligraphy, in the Qing Court Collection, is illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum: Lacquer Wares if the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, Shenzhen, 2006, p.246. A cinnabar lacquer tray, mid-Ming dynasty, illustrated in Ibid., pp.108-109, also has scholarly figures carved in a similarly intricate and small scale.